Program Sessions

Monday, November 10

Breakfast Discussions Breakfast Discussions are limited to 30 people each. Advance registration is strongly advised. Note special dietary requirements on the registration form. Tickets are $35 by October 10, $45 after October 10.

7:00 a.m.-8:30 a.m.

Breakfast Discussion 1: Strategy to Demonstrate the Value of Industrial Hygiene
Steve Newell, Reepa Shroff, and Dee Woodhull, ORC Worldwide, Washington, DC, and Elyce Biddle, NIOSH, Morgantown, WV

AIHA awarded a contract to EG&G Technical Services, Inc., a division of URS, which engaged ORC Worldwide to conduct original research that would identify and quantify links between industrial hygiene investment and business value.

This session will provide attendees with a high-level interactive discussion about the recently released “Strategy to Demonstrate the Value of Industrial Hygiene” co-sponsored by AIHA and ABIH. Representatives from ORC Worldwide will provide a general background on the study’s general results and the strategy that was developed to help IHs quantify the value of the programs under their purview to management. Download the study from www.ihvalue.org in advance.

Breakfast Discussion 2: Industrial Hygiene in the Courtroom
William L. Dyson, PhD, CIH, Workplace Environments, LLC, Greensboro, NC

Dr. Dyson has worked as an industrial hygienist for more than 40 years in government and industry and as an independent consultant. He currently provides industrial hygiene consultation and expert witness services to clients nationwide.

Opportunities abound for involvement of industrial hygienists in litigation. Discussion will center on issues that arise in toxic tort litigation, industrial hygiene involvement in addressing these issues, and limitations to such involvement. Two types of involvement will be considered—consulting and testifying—from the perspective of an industrial hygienist, not an attorney. Factors enhancing the effectiveness of industrial hygienists involved in litigation will be emphasized and challenges to industrial hygiene testimony will be addressed. This discussion will be open-ended and sharing of personal experience is encouraged.

Breakfast Discussion 3: SOLD OUT
The Effectiveness of LEV Systems in Controlling Exposures
David Downs, CIH, CSP, QEP, CPEA, EHS Management Partners, LLC, Shorewood, MN

Despite being the most widely used of engineering measures, local exhaust ventilation (LEV) systems often fail to control exposures to hazardous substances adequately in the United Kingdom. This situation has developed in spite of a legal requirement in the United Kingdom (since 1989) to thoroughly examine and test LEV systems on a regular basis. This discussion will consider the underlying causes for the failure of LEV systems to provide adequate control; explore whether or not the LEV systems in U.S. workplaces are any more effective at controlling exposures than those in the United Kingdom; provide details of an initiative on LEV by the U.K. Health and Safety Executive in collaboration with the Faculty of Occupational Hygiene during 2008 (this initiative will include both new qualifications from the Faculty of Occupational Hygiene and the new guidance from HSE); and discuss whether there are any lessons that industrial hygienists from the United States and the United Kingdom can learn from each other about how we can try to ensure that LEV systems become more effective in the future.

8:45 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Opening Session: American Imports, Asian Deaths Loretta Tofani, Reporter, Salt Lake City, UT Ms. Tofani is a Pulitzer Prize winning (1983) journalist who is currently a free-lancer. Her series, "American Imports, Chinese Deaths" was published in The Salt Lake Tribune in 2007. From India to China, workers in developing countries throughout Asia have been subject to fatal occupational diseases and limb amputations while making products for the United States. Ms. Tofani interviewed many of these workers and will review the explanations of U.S. businesses who import from these factories. She also examines possible remedies to the problem, including changes to U.S. trade law.

 

10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. General Session: Genuine Worker Participation—An Indispensable Key to Effective Global EHS Garrett Brown, MPH, CIH, CAL/OSHA, El Cerrito, CA Mr. Brown is a compliance safety and health officer for CAL/OSHA. Since 1993, he has also been the coordinator of the Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network, an all-volunteer network of 400 occupational health professionals providing information, technical assistance, and training to worker and community-based organizations in the developing world. In the last decade, many transnational corporations have found themselves in the public eye with the label “sweatshop” applied to their products and the facilities that produce them. In response, many international corporations now have “corporate codes of conduct,” “corporate social responsibility” (CSR) departments, and elaborate in-house or “third-party” schemes for monitoring factory compliance with national law, international norms, and corporate codes in their directly-operated and contracted plants. Despite the rapid growth of an international CSR “cottage industry” and the allocation of tens of millions of dollars in CSR regimes and projects, sweatshop conditions continue to exist throughout the global economy. One key reason for disappointing results in eliminating global sweatshops can be found in the reliance on a top-down, management systems approach of code monitoring that is often “gamed” by local factory managers and CSR auditors. An essential element for creating effective OHS programs that accurately capture the reality of plant conditions and monitor their improvement is the direct participation of informed, active, and empowered workers. Examples of successes and failures in creating genuine worker participation will be highlighted in this presentation on the global pursuit of safe and healthy workplaces.

 

Luncheon Discussions Luncheon Discussions are limited to 30 people each. Advance registration is strongly advised. Note special dietary requirements on the registration form. Tickets are $45 by October 10, $55 after October 10.

11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m.

Luncheon Discussion 1: American Imports, Asian Deaths
Loretta Tofani
Join Loretta Tofani, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, as she expands her opening session presentation on workers in developing countries throughout Asia.

Luncheon Discussion 2: SOLD OUT
Social Responsibility and Global Citizenship at Abbott
Jim Murphy, CIH, CSP, ROH, Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL

In his current position as Director, Global Crisis Management, Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity Planning, Mr. Murphy leads the development and implementation of Abbott’s Emergency Preparedness, Crisis Management, and Business Continuity Planning Programs.

An overview of Abbott’s global citizenship efforts will be presented. The role that Abbott’s crisis preparedness and business continuity programs play in support of its social responsibility initiatives will also be discussed.

Solutions Workshops and Thinkshops Registration is included in the conference fee. However, workshop capacities are limited; a ticket is required for admittance. Seats are filled first-come, first-served. List choices 1-4 on the registration form. Solutions Workshop: A participatory seminar emphasizing free discussion and exchange of ideas and practical methods, skills, and principles.  Thinkshop: Instructor led, where teaching or lecturing is used primarily to impart new knowledge and information on a particular topic. While less emphasis is placed on actual or theoretical problem-solving, critical thinking and interactive discussions are encouraged.

1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

Solutions Workshop 1: Heat Stress
Moderator: Tom Bernard, PhD, CIH, PE, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL

On completion the participant will be able to:

• Develop a checklist (or equivalent) to aid in the anticipation and recognition of heat stress in a workplace.
• Implement an exposure assessment scheme relevant to a workplace that includes climate, work demands, and clothing factors.
• Recommend general and job-specific controls as appropriate.
• Map the key elements of heat stress management into an integrated heat stress management program.

This workshop, directed to experienced industrial hygienists, will focus on the recognition, evaluation, and control of occupational heat stress. Heat stress has three job risk factors: environment, energy expenditure, and clothing requirements. The workshop will consider how these may interrelate for the purposes of recognition, evaluation, and control. In addition, a heat stress program is used to manage the risks for exposure to heat stress. An example scenario will be used to illustrate the principles of heat stress management. Participants are encouraged to bring an example from their personal experience for small group discussion.

Materials for the workshop can be downloaded from http://personal.health.usf.edu/tbernard/pcih after November 1. In addition, the materials will be available on a USB flash drive at the workshop. A laptop computer is not required or recommended, but it might be useful for a limited exercise.

Solutions Workshop 2: Improving Professional Judgment
Moderators: John Mulhausen, PhD, CIH, 3M Company, St. Paul, MN, Paul Hewett, PhD, CIH, Exposure Assessment Solutions, Inc., Morgantown, WV, Perry Logan, MS, CIH, 3M Company, St. Paul, MN, and Gurumurthy Ramachandran, PhD, CIH, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

On completion, the participant will be able to:

• Describe actions they can take to improve their exposure judgments.

Professional judgment is core to the practice of industrial hygiene and critical to the protection of worker health. Join us as we explore aspects of industrial hygiene data interpretation and professional judgment. We’ll challenge ourselves with a series of data interpretation exercises to stimulate group discussion regarding opportunities for improvement. We will exchange ideas and define steps that might be taken to improve our professional judgment—both at the personal practitioner level and within the broader industrial hygiene profession.

Please note: This is an abbreviated version of PDC 6, Bayesian Statistics: Overview and Applications.

Solutions Workshop 3: What Every Industrial Hygienist Should Know About Health Promotion in the Workplace
Moderators: Andy Wood, Muve, Inc., Wayzata, MN, and Gary Olmstead, CIH, CSP, CHMM, CPEA, QE, General Mills, Minneapolis, MN

On completion, the participant will be able to:

• Understand the basics of health promotion and wellness.
• Create metrics around health and wellness.

“Health and wellness” are buzz words which are used to encompass everything from marketing strategies for selling “healthy” products to programs directed at preventing disease and still other programs designed to diminish the effects of the aging process. Like safety programs, most wellness and health programs are about behavior changes. This workshop examines programs and strategies for sustainable healthy lifestyle changes and methods for working with organizations to create a health and safety culture.

Solutions Workshop 4: SOLD OUT
Global EHS Management Systems: Vehicle for Integration and Supply Chain Impact
Moderators: Kyle B. Dotson, CIH, CSP, BCEE, DOTSON Group, LLC, San Jose, CA; John Henshaw, CIH, Henshaw and Associates, Inc., Sanibel, FL

On completion, the participant will be able to:

• Describe the current status and highlights of the major global EHS management systems, including ANSI Z10, ISO 26000, and ISO 31000.
• Explain the current concepts and approaches associated with CSR.
• Use EHS management systems as a vehicle for EHS integration and a strategic platform for CSR development activities.
• Apply a method to integrate OHS, EHS, and CSR management systems with core business systems.

Over the next five years, corporate social responsibility (CSR) trends will provide an opening for a sea change in how worker safety and health and EHS management are viewed. The question is: Are we, the EHS professionals, ready for this opportunity?

A quick update on EHS management systems around the world and current CSR trends will be provided. We will show how an EHSMS framework can be used to integrate the EHS function deep into the core business systems and serve as a strategic platform for CSR development activities. Fun group exercises will provide fresh insights and action plans to take back to the office for immediate use.

Solutions Workshop 5: Strategy to Demonstrate the Value of Industrial Hygiene
Moderators: Steve Newell, Reepa Shroff, and Dee Woodhull, ORC Worldwide, Washington, DC, and Elyce Biddle, NIOSH, Morgantown, WV

On completion, the participant will be able to:

• Understand how to use the framework and strategy to demonstrate IH value.
• Quantify the value of IH programs.

This session will explore the framework and tools recently developed by the ORC Worldwide team under the auspices of the AIHA- and ABIH-sponsored “Strategy to Demonstrate the Value of Industrial Hygiene” and provide specific training on how to use both the framework and the strategy. Learn the various approaches that can be used along with the qualitative and quantitative flexibility that has been built in to the processes developed. While specific case studies will be reviewed, bring your own organizational examples and questions. Visit www.ihvalue.org and download the study in advance.

This is an in-depth exploration of a topic where discussion, case studies, and actual working through of problems and solutions are key parts of the program.

Solutions Workshop 6: Ethical Fitness: Choosing Between Right vs. Right
Moderators: Glenn J. Barbi, CIH, and Nancy Orr, CIH, CSP, Becton Dickinson & Co., Franklin Lakes, NJ

On completion, the participant will be able to:

• Develop increased awareness of ethical issues and how they arise.
• Apply tools and skills to analyze ethical dilemmas and make higher quality ethical decisions concerning consultant/client relationships.
• Identify and resolve potential conflict of interest situations.
• Comprehend the nature of personal values and their role in guiding conduct.

Participants will acquire the essential skills necessary to make higher quality ethical decisions. This process begins by developing an awareness of ethical issues and how they arise. The role of personal values and their application to decision making is examined. Participants will use analytical techniques to explore right vs. wrong situations as distinct from right vs. right dilemmas where values conflict. We will explore how to resolve situations where truth conflicts with loyalty, justice with mercy, short-term goals with long-term goals, and self-interest with community interest. Finally, case studies allow participants to apply several resolution approaches to their own dilemmas in search of “the higher right.”

Thinkshop 7: SOLD OUT
Old Hazards and New Concerns: Silica and Benzene
Moderators: Joseph L. Holtshouser, CIH, CSP, Holtshouser Consulting, Colleyville, TX, and Robert Glenn, CIH, Crowell & Moring, Washington, DC

On completion, the participant will be able to:

• Understand industrial hygiene concerns related to benzene.
• Learn about recent toxicity findings and epidemiological studies.
• Understand the current status of toxic tort litigation with respect to benzene.
• Gain an understanding of the scientific evidence of some of the newly associated silica disease endpoints.
• Understand developments related to promulgation of a comprehensive OSHA silica standard.
• Understand the current status of product liability litigation with respect to crystalline silica.

Participants will review recent developments regarding benzene toxicity at low exposure levels, risk assessment, occupational regulation, and litigation from an industrial hygiene perspective.

The pulmonary fibrotic disease silicosis is the condition most often associated with the inhalation of crystalline silica. However, occupational exposures are now related to increases in lung cancer, and more recently studies have linked silica with chronic renal disease, autoimmune disorders, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other adverse health effects. Participants will review the recent evidence related to these conditions, risk assessment for some disease endpoints, recent regulatory efforts, and developments in silica product liability litigation.

Thinkshop 8: Diacetyl and Food Flavorings: Exposure Assessment, Control, and Medical Monitoring Challenges
Moderators: Kevin Dunn, CIH,  Lauralynn McKernan, CIH, CDC/NIOSH, Cincinnati, OH, James Lockey, PhD, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, and Roy McKay, PhD, Occupational Pulmonary Services, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH

Upon completion, the participant will be able to:

• List some typical flavoring and food production processes and recognize potential sources of exposure to flavoring chemicals.
• Review the range of sampling and analytical methods for measurement of diacetyl and flavoring chemicals in the workplace.
• Develop a sampling plan to address the primary respiratory hazards associated with flavorings and flavored food production.
• Understand potential adverse health effects related to exposure to diacetyl and flavoring chemicals.
• Develop strategies for reducing exposure to flavoring chemicals using engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection.

Employees within the flavor production industry have complex exposures in terms of the physical form of the agent (solid, liquid, and gas) and the number of different chemicals used. Reportedly, more than 100 chemical substances make up the flavor that is perceived as orange. Although there are thousands of flavoring compounds in use, few have occupational exposure limits. The prevention of obstructive lung disease and other health effects associated with occupational exposure to flavoring chemicals in food and associated industries continues to be the focus of extensive research and media attention.

Due to the complex mixed exposures within the industry and the absence of inhalation toxicology for most chemicals, an engineering, solution-based approach is recommended. Workplace exposure assessment and medical monitoring are crucial components of an effective prevention program. This course will present the key elements and challenges associated with exposure assessment, medical surveillance, engineering controls, and respiratory protection. Participation will benefit occupational health practitioners involved with the production or use of diacetyl and flavorings in food production.

SOLD OUT 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Technical Tour: Tampa Port Authority Limit: 40 As Florida’s largest port, Tampa handles approximately 50 millions tons of cargo per year. The Port of Tampa is also the largest economic engine in West Central Florida. It continues to grow and diversify, attracting new investment and facilitating trade growth while enhancing security and safety. The Port of Tampa is home to a vibrant and diverse traffic base, which moves efficiently through an extensive array of terminal facilities encompassing container, bulk, break bulk, ro-ro (roll-on, roll-off), project cargoes, and cruise passengers, with 1 million square feet of warehousing and cold storage facilities. Join the port’s environmental manager as he discusses various aspects of the safety and environmental management of the port. Identification is required on site. You must be a U.S. citizen.

 

5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Welcome Reception

 

SOLD OUT 6:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. ¡Qué Rico! Dinner and Flamenco Dancing! $50 by October 10/$60 after October 10 Join us at Columbia Restaurant, Florida’s oldest and most honored Spanish restaurant. In addition to award-winning Spanish/Cuban cuisine, the night will include a lively flamenco dance performance. Entrée choices include chicken, pork, or a vegetarian meal. The bus will depart the Marriott at 6:00 p.m.

 

Tuesday, November 11

Breakfast Discussions Breakfast Discussions are limited to 30 people each. Advance registration is strongly advised. Note special dietary requirements on the registration form. Tickets are $35 by October 10, $45 after October 10.

7:00 a.m.-8:30 a.m.

Breakfast Discussion 4: SOLD OUT
Challenges in Manganese Exposure Assessment in Welding Operations
Scott M. Voelz, O’Melveny & Myers LLP, Los Angeles, CA

Mr. Voelz is a partner in O’Melveny & Myers LLP’s Los Angeles office and a member of the firm’s Class Actions, Mass Torts, and Aggregated Litigation Practice.

This discussion will focus on a number of the factors to consider, and difficulties to overcome, in performing an accurate exposure assessment for welding operations. These include the welding consumable used, arc time, shielding gas, the type and nature of ventilation, the position of the welder or helper, and the base material. It will also briefly examine the chemical nature and form of the manganese in various types of welding fumes as compared to other manganese containing processes such as mining and smelting, and how these differences impact both exposure and health assessments. Lastly, it will discuss, based on the available epidemiological and toxicological data, the impact these issues have on the potential health risks associated with welding as compared to other occupations exposed to manganese compounds.

Breakfast Discussion 5: Metalworking Fluids in High-Volume Manufacturing: Toward a Safer and Greener Future
James D’Arcy, PhD, CIH, General Motors, Warren, MI

Dr. D’Arcy is a technical fellow at the General Motors Research and Development Center. His research is focused on workplace aerosol controls and microbiology of industrial fluids.

Concentrating on recent developments that will be reported at the October 2008 Metal Removal Fluid Symposium cosponsored by AIHA (www.mrf2008.org), the discussion will focus on fluid formulation, exposure controls, and management practices as tools to move manufacturing toward a safer and more sustainable future.

8:45 a.m.-9:30 a.m.

Henry F. Smyth Jr. Award Lecture
Protecting America's Workers: The Need for Stronger Criminal Penalties for Violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act
David M. Uhlmann, Jeffrey F. Liss Professor from Practice, Director, Environmental Law and Policy Program, University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Approximately 6000 workers are killed on the job annually, and thousands more suffer grievous injuries. Yet penalties for violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act remain small, and criminal prosecutions rare, because it is only a crime under the Act when willful violations of worker safety regulations result in worker death. Even then, the crime is only a Class B misdemeanor, with a maximum penalty of six months in jail, which does little to promote compliance, has minimal deterrent effect, and sends an unfortunate message about the value of a worker's life. Professor Uhlmann describes the Justice Department's worker endangerment initiative and explains why Congress should pass legislation to strengthen the criminal provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

 

Concurrent Sessions Track 1: Technical—sessions provide practical, scientific tools and information relevant to daily applications. Track 2: Strategic—sessions provide information applicable to planning and managing people, programs, and processes.

10:00 a.m.-10:45 a.m.
Concurrent Sessions 1

Track 1: Nanotechnology for the Industrial Hygienist: Key Issues and NIOSH Results
Charles Geraci, PhD, CIH, NIOSH, Cincinnati, OH

Dr. Geraci is a member of the NIOSH Nanotechnology Research Council and chief of the Document Development Branch. He has more than 30 years of industrial hygiene practice experience in the federal government, consulting, and private industry.

Nanotechnology continues to be described as one of the fastest growing technological areas in history and as having the potential to revolutionize global industry by changing and improving products in many sectors. As with any new technology, there are a number of unknowns that generate awareness and concern in the occupational safety and health community. Ongoing studies have indicated that there may be new and unique hazards associated with nanomaterials. Developing good guidance for workers and employers in the face of uncertainty is one of the challenges facing the industrial hygiene professional today as this new approach to material science moves forward. NIOSH has played a leading role in conducting research on the potential hazards of nanotechnology for workplace safety and health so that this new area of science can move forward responsibly. This talk will present an overview of the key technical issues before the industrial hygiene professional and will summarize results and experiences from NIOSH activities.

Track 2: Between the Smoke and Mirrors: Will the Emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility Be a Permanent Reality or Become a Sideshow?
David Nelson, PhD, CEA, CHMM, CIEA, Global Decisions, Inc., Salt Lake City, UT

Dr. Nelson has over 31 years experience in environmental consulting for private, public and international development sectors. He is an internationally recognized expert in global environmental and occupational health and safety legislation/regulations, environmental auditing, corporate responsibility, environmental management systems, ISO 14000, SA 8000, GRI, environmental and human health risk assessment.

The term “corporate social responsibility” is a phrase increasingly associated with environmental, occupational health and safety, and community service programs implemented by corporations. While no generally accepted definition exists yet, so-called CSR issues refer to working with a wide range of stakeholders such as shareholders and investment funds, local and state governments, and communities in providing resources to better the lives, environment, and social conditions in which industrial facilities do business. A wide range of other CSR-type standards exist with numerous others and codes of practice being generated by an increasingly diverse—and adverse—group of organizations with different agendas.

Corporations, especially multinational corporations, ignore CSR issues at their peril, regardless of the company’s internal beliefs and policies. This presentation looks at the state-of-the-art drivers and actions of CSR, the movement of which seems to literally change daily. Advertisements of all sorts in all media tout the latest CSR initiatives by all industrial and service sectors. Contrary to popular perception, CSR is not a U.S. phenomenon; many countries have long had some form of CSR in place, many of them legally required. Even China has embarked on a serious campaign of sorts to implement corporate transparency and good citizen stewardship in its business dealings. China is on the move on yet another front.

11:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m.
Concurrent Sessions 2

Track 1: Nanotechnology Applications in the Automotive Industry
James D’Arcy, PhD, CIH, General Motors, Warren, MI

Nanometer-sized materials are not new to the automotive industry. What is new is the emphasis on exploiting the unique physical and chemical properties that can be obtained from very small subdivisions of matter. The presentation will outline many applications of nanotechnology on production vehicles as well as some of the research goals for future improvements. While nanotechnology promises to make vehicles safer and more environmentally friendly, there are health and safety concerns that must be addressed. The presentation will address some of the R&D and vehicle recycling concerns being investigated.

Track 2: Impact of the Global Supply Chain on Industrial Hygiene and EHS
Frank Renshaw, PhD, CIH, CSP, Rohm & Haas, Croydon, PA

Dr. Renshaw is a senior EHS leader with the Specialty Materials Business Group of the Rohm and Haas Company. In this role he advises and assists the EHS director of the Paint and Coatings, Packaging and Building Materials, and Primary Materials businesses in developing and implementing EHS strategy and initiatives.

The geographic shift in manufacturing and other components of the global supply chain has impacted industrial hygiene and related EHS disciplines in many ways. Hiring, training, and retaining qualified professionals close to supply chain operations are great challenges. Finding and qualifying suppliers of materials and service contractors that support the supply chain is difficult and risk prone. Building and operating facilities on the international front challenges EHS and sustainability standards and practices. Upholding these standards while at the same time adapting to regional and cultural differences is a key to success in delivering industrial hygiene, EHS, and sustainability on a global basis.

Luncheon Discussions Luncheon Discussions are limited to 30 people each. Advance registration is strongly advised. Note special dietary requirements on the registration form. Tickets are $45 by October 10, $55 after October 10.

Noon-1:30 p.m.

Luncheon Discussion 3: SOLD OUT
Nanotechnology: An Issue in Search of a Solution?
Charles Geraci, PhD, CIH, NIOSH, Cincinnati, OH

Nanotechnology continues to make news in the technical and lay press as having the potential to revolutionize nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Inserted among the many releases on the exciting new science are questions about the potential human health and environmental hazards presented by this new class of materials being created or the nanoscale form of existing materials. A lot of energy has gone into describing the various data gaps that exist and the kinds of information needed to make good, science-based decisions. The industrial hygiene profession has a lot to contribute to the conversation on nanotechnology, including the skills needed to deal in a prudent manner with the introduction of new technologies and materials. This session will provide one industrial hygienist’s perspective on the key issues that have been identified, the importance of providing good science-based guidance to those driving the technology and making the business decisions, and some future thinking on what is needed to continue on a logical path forward.

Luncheon Discussion 4: SOLD OUT
Manganese
Robert G. McCoy, Esq., Vaughan Cascino Law Offices, Ltd, Chicago, IL

Mr. McCoy’s practice is concentrated in asbestos and welding litigation. He has served as lead trial and appellate counsel in asbestos and welding cases. He was part of the trial team that won the first welding rod case for manganism poisoning for VCLO.

Join Mr. McCoy as he discusses a plaintiff attorney’s point of view surrounding the manganese controversy.

Luncheon Discussion 5: Global Contractor Pre-Qualifications
Allen R. Wilson Intel Semiconductor Dalian, Ltd., Dalian, China

We can build a stronger supply chain through better procurement practices. This discussion will focus on expectations, requirements, and management systems to strengthen supply chain performance.

1:45 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions 3

Track 1: Occupational Manganese Exposures, Evidence for Parkinsonian Health Effects, and Risk Assessment
Robert Park, NIOSH, Cincinnati, OH

Mr. Park is an epidemiologist in the Risk Evaluation Branch of NIOSH. Prior to NIOSH, he worked in the Health and Safety Department of the United Auto Workers Union in Detroit, where he performed investigations of mortality and the incidence of work-related illness and injury in the auto and related industries.

Effects of high Manganese (Mn) exposures from ore-processing and smelters are well-known and called “manganism.” At lower exposures (< 0.5 mg/m³ total Mn) case reports have described Parkinsons-like findings in welders and ferroalloy workers, suggesting early manganism. Population-based studies have failed to observe associations between broad welding classifications and severe neurological impairment (e.g., hospitalization) and have other limitations. Case series from workers’ compensation evaluations describe a coherent picture of impairment but most arise from unknown or uncharacterized source populations, preventing relative-risk inferences. Investigations of specific worker groups have reported associations between Mn exposure and neurobehavioral performance deficits, symptoms, and signs. Biological measures of Mn exposure including blood levels and MRI scans revealing brain deposition are also associated with performance deficits. Most of these studies are cross-sectional without detailed exposure assessments. Furthermore, interpretation of neurobehavioral deficits requires defining impairment and assessing concurrence of associated symptoms and signs. The consistency of findings from Mn field studies mirrors the history of early lead investigations. Available studies provide insight into the Mn-neurobehavioral exposure response and a basis for preliminary risk assessments. While mechanistic studies advance rapidly, basic field studies are needed with adequate exposure assessment and statistical power to describe optimum exposure metrics, reversibility, and progression of impairment resulting from Mn. At this time, we do not know what numbers or proportions of welders or other Mn-exposed workers would experience what most people would agree are unacceptable impairments while performing sustained work at the current ACGIH^® standard (0.2 mg/m³ total Mn).

Track 2: Sustainability—Aligning EHS Concerns With Business Objectives
Beth Beloff, Sustainability Services, Golder Associates, Inc., Houston, TX

Ms. Beloff is founder and president of Golder Associate’s BRIDGES to Sustainability, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to foster the implementation of sustainable development through approaches, methods, and tools supporting management decision making.

EHS issues not only represent business risks for companies to manage but also business opportunities from which companies can derive benefits. Those risks and benefits not only accrue to the company, they also accrue directly or indirectly to a myriad of stakeholders affected by the actions of the business. This presentation will offer a systematic process for assessing business strategies and objectives relative to those issues, their level of significance to the company’s stakeholders and to the business, and how to navigate through them to determine which are most critical, how to best address them, and how to measure the results of those actions in both business and societal terms.

2:45 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions 4

Track 1: Manganese: Questions, Context and Controversy: Legal Aspects

Scott M. Voelz, O’Melveny & Myers LLP, Los Angeles, CA and Robert G. McCoy, Esq., Vaughan Cascino Law Offices, Ltd, Chicago, IL

Meritless claims or cause of neurological disorders? A plaintiff’s lawyer and a defense lawyer focus on the legal aspects of the Manganese controversy. Both sides will explain their point of view and will provide further insight into the debate.

Track 2: A New Way to Do Business in China
Allen R. Wilson Intel Semiconductor Dalian, Ltd., Dalian, China

 

3:45 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions 5

Track 1: Occupational Manganese Exposure and Control Strategies
Lorraine Conroy, ScD, CIH, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL

Dr. Conroy is associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research interests include occupational exposure measurement and modeling, industrial ventilation design and testing, and workplace control effectiveness.

This presentation will describe the major occupations with manganese exposure, exposure measurements, occupational exposure limits, and control strategies for the major occupational sources.

Track 2: Product Stewardship—Lessons Learned in Implementing a WEEE Compliance Program
Thea Dunmire, JD, CIH, CSP, ENLAR Compliance Services Inc., Largo, FL

Ms. Dunmire is president of ENLAR Compliance Services, an EHS consulting company. Previously, she was an environmental attorney with a major law firm in Chicago, an assistant regional counsel with the U.S. EPA and an EHS professional for manufacturing companies such as Allied Chemical and Bristol Myers Squibb.

In 2003, the European Union (E.U.) adopted the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive. This directive required that producers of electrical and electronic equipment mark their products with a specific label. This labeling requirement applied to any covered products put on the market after August 13, 2005. The WEEE directive also required individual E.U. countries to pass legislation to require producers to “take back” used equipment from their customers and report on their efforts to do so. If a company sells product in more than one E.U. country, it is required to meet the legal requirements of each country. These legal requirements vary from country to country because each country can, and has, interpreted the requirements of the WEEE directive somewhat differently.

In 2005 and 2006, a project was undertaken to implement a WEEE compliance program for a client who marketed a diverse mix of products in a number of different E.U. countries. The overall goal was to put a program in place to ensure verifiable compliance with the WEEE requirements with minimal business impact while utilizing existing business processes to the extent feasible. This presentation will cover the 12 steps that were taken in establishing this WEEE compliance program and the lessons learned. Many of these lessons might apply generally to the establishment of any product stewardship program where a company has complex business partnerships and a diverse product line that is sold in a number of different countries with varying legal requirements.

4:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Academy Business Meeting

 

The PCIH is sponsored by AIHA's Academy of Industrial Hygiene